Prediagnostic consumption of wine by patients with colorectal cancer is associated with improved survival.

Prediagnostic consumption of wine by patients with colorectal cancer is associated with improved survival, according to a study published in Cancer.1

Researchers evaluated patients with colorectal cancer across 4 study sites through the Colon Cancer Family Registry to determine a link between alcohol consumption and colorectal cancer survival. Patients completed a questionnaire in which they were evaluated for prediagnostic consumption of wine, beer and liquor.

In total, 4966 patients were followed up for survival analysis, using Cox regression to compare survival of patients who did not consume alcohol with those who had, on average, 1 or more serving(s) a day in the years leading up to their diagnosis of colorectal cancer.

The researchers also conducted analyses that stratified for patient and tumor characteristics to determine effect based on the type of alcohol.

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Consumption of wine was “modestly associated with a better prognosis overall,” while prediagnostic consumption of beer and liquor was not associated with colorectal cancer survival. Similar outcomes were found upon stratified analyses.

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